The Breakers basketballers have started their NBL season with an overtime loss.
Breakers guard Tai Webster. Photo: Photosport
Despite 34 points from the returning Tai Webster, the New Zealand side were beaten 94-91 by the 36ers in Adelaide on Friday night.
Webster's fifth three-pointer gave the visitors an 82-79 lead late in regulation time, before Adelaide import Donald Sloan responded with 10 seconds remaining.
Both Webster and Breakers import Lamar Patterson couldn't get contested lay-ups to drop in the final few seconds to send the game into overtime, where the home side closed out victory.
Patterson made a three-pointer with 17 seconds in overtime to give his side late hope, but missed his next attempt on the buzzer that would have forced double-overtime.
"We made a big mistake at the end of regulation," Breakers coach Dan Shamir said of Sloan's relatively uncontested three to tie the game.
"We were up three and we should know to force a contested challenge. He got an open shot from a defensive mistake.
"The end of the game was tough."
Along with Webster, Patterson and Finn Delany led the Breakers scoring with 16 points each.
The New Zealand side, who lost forward Daniel Trist before the game because of a Covid-19 protocol breach, would get the chance to avenge the loss in a rematch with Adelaide at the same venue on Wednesday night.
